Rainfall
by Bohemian Punk Chic
Summary: This story tells that tale of two 17-year-olds growing up in a normal world. There's heart-ach, death, drugs, and everything you can think of that would set you down. But then there's love. Something that can overcome anything! Come along for the ride!
1. Trapped in the Warehouse

Travis sat in the Radio Free Roscoe warehouse where he ran an underground radio station along with his three friends, Robbie McGrath, Ray Brennan, and Lily Randall. They all have their own personal secret identities. Travis is Smog, Lily is Shady Lane, Robbie is Question Mark, and Ray is Pronto. Lily was more the artistic one; she played the guitar and sang a lot of the songs that are heard on RFR. Ray was more the comedian, Robbie was the one who questioned everything, and Travis was the somber and quiet one. Travis was listening to the gentle rainfall on the roof. It was a Saturday night and, of course, he had nothing to do since he was known to be a loner. He had left the house around nine and it was now five past eleven. He jumped from his comfortable position on the vinyl red couch when he heard the door slam shut.  
As he looked to see where the noise had come from he saw Lily drenched in black Dickies and a green long sleeved shirt. Her sandy blonde hair hung in strands around her face. Travis stood up and handed his jacket to her since she was shivering.  
"Thanks Trav. What are you doing here so late?" Lily took a seat next to her speckled blonde friend.  
"Just listening to the rain. Its so much more comfortable here than at my house." Travis adjusted his position so that he was leaning on the armrest.  
"Do you mind the company?"  
"No, I don't mind." Travis looked over to Lily and noticed that she looked quite uncomfortable trying hard not to lean on him. And he noticed that she was still shaking fiercely.  
Travis leaned up and wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her arms to keep her warm. He saw that blood coming back to her face.  
"Mmmm...that feels sooo good." Lily started to rub her arms along with him. "You're not cold. It feels nice." Travis leaned back.  
"Here, you can lean against me if you want. My body heat will keep you warm." Lily shakily nodded and rested her head against Travis's chest. He continued rubbing he arms until she stopped shivering.  
They silently listened to the rainfall and fell asleep in each other's arms.  
The next morning Lily's eyes fluttered open to the sound of pounding on the roof. She quickly got up, not noticing that she was with Travis, and looked outside to see thick balls of hail falling to the ground. She suddenly felt a shiver run up her spine and ran back to the couch where she noticed that Travis was still sleeping. A blush crept to her face as she realized that she had fallen asleep in her best friends arms. As she felt another shiver rush up her body she quickly lay back down on Travis and wrapped his jacket around herself.  
An hour later both awoke to a loud clap of thunder. Travis looked down to see why he had slight pressure on his chest and his eyes rested on the sight of Lily looked back up at him.  
"Morning sleepy head," Lily said in a groggily voice. She sat up and stretched out her arms.  
"Morning to you, too." Travis sat up also. As Lily looked over to him she flew into a fit of giggles. "What?"  
"Your hair is flying in every direction." Travis attempted to fix it but Lily grabbed his hand to stop him. "Don't, it looks cute like this." Lily's emerald eyes connected with Travis's deep gray ones and she felt a shock run throughout her body. She quickly diverted he gaze.  
"Well, I have my spare clothes that I can change into. What about you?" Lily reached into the backpack she had stashed under a box in the corner of the room.  
"I always keep an extra pair of clothes here, Trav." Travis walked into the tech booth.  
"I'll change back here and you can change in there. Remember, no peeking." Lily giggled like a seven-year-old schoolgirl.  
"I'm not that desperate Travis." Lily turned around and quickly changed into her outfit. She was wearing a pair of black flares and a purple tank top. She figured Travis was done and turned around and was greeted with the sight of Travis standing in his blue plaid boxers and a gray undershirt. Lily had to admit that Travis had a great body. He had a rippled chest and strong muscular arms and legs. Lily gasped at the sight of him. He wasn't the weird looking Travis she had always thought he looked like. She turned around to keep Travis from catching her in the act of watching him change- and to keep him from noticing the deep shade of red she had just turned. A few minutes later Travis said he was done and Lily turned around and saw Travis wearing a black turtleneck and a nice pair of denim jeans. How come he doesn't dress like this at school? Lily thought. Travis leaned behind the couch and pulled out a blanket.  
He and Lily both lay down on the couch and watched the rain fall outside. 


	2. Piggy Back Rides and Advice From Mickey

Chapter 2  
  
An hour later that rain had died down and both had decided to go to Travis's house since it was the closest.  
  
Lily was a bit behind Travis and got an idea. She ran towards him and hopped on his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.  
  
"What am I, a pony?" Travis laughed as he spun around.  
  
"Not so fast! I'm getting dizzy!" Travis fell down onto the parks soft yet wet grass and happened to land on top of Lily.  
  
He held himself up so that he was leaning over her and looked into her green eyes. His head filled with air as he leaned forward and his lips connected with hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.  
  
As they broke apart Travis looked into her eyes, but he didn't see his reflection. Instead he saw the image of a hurt Ray.  
  
"Ray...what have I done?" Travis said absentmindedly and stood up. He quickly brushed himself off. Lily stood up as well.  
  
"Travis, what's wrong? What did you say about Ray?" Lily placed her hand against Travis's shoulder but he flinched away.  
  
"I can't do this to him." Travis glanced up to Lily. "As much as I like you Lily I can't do this to Ray." Travis turned around and ran off towards his house without looking back.  
  
"What about Ray?" Lily gently whispered to no one. She slowly headed in the direction of Mickey's. She needed to think and that was just the place to do it.  
  
Lily sat down on a stool and ordered a large hot chocolate. She was starting her third cocoa when Mickey sat down next to her.  
  
"Hey kid, what's up? I've never seen you drink so much of this stuff so fast."  
  
"Mickey, Earlier today Travis and I were hanging around in the park and we...kissed."  
  
"What's wrong with that? Travster is a good kid."  
  
"Yah but when we broke apart he kept saying that he couldn't do this to Ray and then he ran off. What did he mean about Ray?"  
  
"I thought you knew, Ray likes you. Travis probably didn't want to ruin his friendship with Ray."  
  
"But...I used to like Ray."  
  
"Used to?"  
  
"Yah but not anymore. I have feelings for Travis and I can't just hide them." Lily let out a sorrowful sigh.  
  
"If you care so much about Travis you should take to him about what happened. And you should probably have a talk with Ray." Lily stood up and grabbed her purse.  
  
"You're right. I'm gonna go see Trav right now. Thanks Mickey." Lily gave Mickey a hug and ran out of the music store in search of Travis.  
  
"Hey, that cocoa's not free!" 


	3. Ray? Giving Good Advice? As If!

Chapter 3  
  
Lily hurriedly stepped onto the porch of the Strong residence. Lily was drenched from head to toe and the huge porch that surrounded the entire three-story estate was a welcome sight. As soon as the feeling came back to her toes Lily rang the doorbell. She could hear the beautiful chimes ringing throughout the house. A few minutes passed before a tall woman of around forty with long silky blonde hair opened the door.  
  
"May I help you?" The woman had a somewhat mysterious sound to her voice, like Travis.  
  
"Hi, you must be Mrs. Strong," Lily was cut off.  
  
"Please, call me Tracey."  
  
"Okay, Tracey. Um, I was looking for Travis. I'm Lily, a friend from school."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Lily but he just left with another friend." Lily looked to the floor.  
  
"Oh, okay. Well thanks for your help." Lily turned around and sprinted from the house as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was going but somehow she ended up at Ray's.  
  
She ran up the steps to the house and frantically rang the doorbell. Ray's father opened the door and he didn't look like he was in a good mood.  
  
"Lily, what is so important that you have to ring the doorbell fifty times in a minute?"  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Brennan but I really have to talk to Ray."  
  
"He's up in his room. Watching cartoons no doubt." Rays father stepped aside so Lily could enter. Lily kicked off her shoes-like everyone had to do in that house-an ran up the flight of stares to Ray's room.  
  
When she entered Ray was sitting on the couch in front of his TV and was watching SpongeBob. Lily had no idea why people found a talking sponge entertaining but for some reason they did. Ray looked up in surprise to the sound.  
  
"Lily! What are you doing here?" Lily sat down next to him.  
  
"Ray, do you like me?"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Ray I need to know. I don't want to hurt you." Ray looked at Lily. She had tears running down her cheeks.  
  
"It doesn't matter who I like. What matters is what's wrong with you." Lily's eyes darted to Ray.  
  
"I-I think I love Travis, but I can't hurt you. You've been my best friend since we were in diapers." Ray looked down at his shoes for a few minutes before speaking.  
  
"Lily, you have to trust me on this. Don't hide your feelings. If you love him than you have to tell him. I learned that the hard way. Don't make my mistake." Lily grabbed Ray's hand.  
  
"Ray, I'm sorry but..."  
  
"It's okay. I understand. As Travis once said to me, 'You can't control when love will pull a sneak attack on you.'" Lily leaned over and gave Ray a peck on the cheek.  
  
"I'll always love you as a friend Ray."  
  
"I know. Now go find your man."  
  
"Thanks Ray." Lily stood up and ran downstairs. She slipped on her shoes and ran out of the house. 


	4. Tears In The Ally Way

Chapter 4  
  
Lily checked her watch and saw that it was already close to eight. She headed off in the direction of Mickey's. When she stepped into the local disc store her eyes fell upon the couch that she usually sat on with Ray and Robbie. She felt her stomach tie into knots when her eyes fell upon Travis sitting next to a girl around her age with long, raven-black hair. As she flipped her hair back Lily saw that she had a stunning complexion and bright aqua eyes.  
  
She leaned over and gave Travis a quick kiss on the lips. A sudden flood of tears flowed out of Lily's eyes. Just at that moment Travis looked back and caught sight of Lily. His eyes widened as he saw the tears flowing down her face. She quickly turned around and ran out of the disc store. He got up and sprinted after her.  
  
After running for three blocks Travis caught Lily in an ally-way. He ran up and grabbed her by the wrist. As she turned around Travis winced at the look of pain on Lily's face. He let go of her wrist and attempted to touch her shoulder but she flinched away.  
  
"Lily..."  
  
"Travis how could you! You go and you kiss me and then start freaking out about Ray liking me and then, you go and let some stranger kiss you even though you know I like you!" Lily screamed at Travis with hate in every word.  
  
"Lily, I didn't know she was going to kiss me..."  
  
"But you sure as heck didn't stop her! Just never talk to me again! And I'm won't be going to RFR tomorrow or the next day! Not as long as you're there!" Lily stepped past Travis and ran home, leaving Travis standing alone in the freezing rain.  
  
When Lily got home she ran upstairs and fell onto her bed and cried into her pillows. Her shaky hand picked up the phone and she dialed Rays cell. After three rings he picked up.  
  
"It's go time!"  
  
"Ray, It's Lil."  
  
"Lily, what's wrong?" Ray's knuckles were white as he gripped the phone. Lily had never sounded this hurt in her life.  
  
"Ray, I waited too long and I think I've lost Travis."  
  
"How?"  
  
"When I left your house I went to Mickey's and I saw some other girl kiss Travis. On the lips. I ran out and he ran after me and we got into this huge fight and I told him I wasn't going to talk to him ever and that I wouldn't go to RFR and..." Lily has to take a breath of air. "Ray, how could he do this to me? I thought he loved me."  
  
"I don't know Lil. For the first time I don't have anything to say to cheer you up. Look, you just try to calm down and go to sleep and I'll see if I can get a hold of Travis."  
  
"Okay. Bye." Lily hung up the phone and wound up falling asleep within ten minutes.  
  
As soon as Ray hung up the phone he dialed Travis's number. Travis picked up on the second ring.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Can you please explain to me what you were doing with some girl at Mickey's!?" Travis let out a sigh.  
  
"I'm guessing you talked to Lily."  
  
"Yah, she was just bawling in my ear. I've never heard her so upset. What did you do?" Ray had a somewhat sympathetic sound to his voice.  
  
"The girl was hitting on me and I was trying to tell her off when she just leaned in and kissed me."  
  
"Why didn't you push her off?"  
  
"I was stunned. I was shocked that she was so forward and I was discussed and shocked."  
  
"Okay, I understand that but why didn't you tell Lil?"  
  
"I tried to but she refused to listen. Wait, are you actually trying to hook me and Lily up?"  
  
"Yes. Lily talked to me earlier and I realized that I couldn't keep her for myself. She loves you man. Look, I'll call her in the morning and we'll work this out."  
  
"Okay. See ya." Travis hung up and flopped onto his bed and quickly fell asleep. 


	5. You Two Have To Talk

Chapter 5  
  
Lily's eyes flew open to the sound of ringing. She looked at her clock and saw that it was nine thirty. Then she noticed that her phone was ringing. She reluctantly picked up.  
  
"Hello?" She answered in a sleepy voice.  
  
"Lily, it's Ray. Get up, take a shower, get dressed, and come over."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just do it!" Then the line went dead. Lily stood up and looked in the mirror. She had bags in her eyes and her face was blotchy from crying. She let out a sigh and grabbed her robe. She emerged from the shower fifteen minutes later. She spent five minutes getting dressed and ten trying to get her makeup to cover the discoloration in her face. Then she grabbed an umbrella-since it was still raining-and headed over to Rays.  
  
When she got there her stomach dropped. In the driveway was Travis's new, green, SUV that he had gotten for his sixteenth birthday. Lily took in a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Just then Ray opened the door.  
  
"Ray! What is he doing here?" Lily signaled to the car.  
  
"You two need to talk, and this was the only way to get you two in the same room."  
  
"Nice trick but it won't work." Lily turned around and started to leave. Just then a strong hand gripped her shoulder. She turned around and her emerald eyes met a pair of glassy gray ones.  
  
"Travis, let go of me." Lily was struggling to keep herself from breaking down in tears.  
  
"Not until you listen to me."  
  
"No!" Lily fell to the floor in a fit of tears. Travis knelt down next to her.  
  
"Lily, please?" Lily looked up at him. He had a sincere look on his face so she reluctantly nodded.  
  
"She was hitting on me and just kissed me on a spur of the moment. I was so discussed that I couldn't move."  
  
"But you looked like you knew her?" Travis looked up at Ray then back down to Lily.  
  
"I lied to both of you. I said she was a stranger but..."  
  
"Who was she Travis?" Ray asked.  
  
"Her name is Contessa and she went to the Academy with me back in London. She was my...girlfriend. I started dating her because she understood what it was like to always move because her dad was a diplomat like mine. She had just moved to London from Italy where she had lived all of her life and we started dating. But when I moved to Hong Kong I broke up with her. That still hasn't registered in her head I guess."  
  
Lily had a blank look on her face as she stood up. "I-I need to think." Lily walked down the driveway and headed off to Mickey's.  
  
Travis let out a sigh. "Please let her forgive me?"  
  
"Travster, why didn't you tell me you used to date this girl?"  
  
"I didn't think it mattered. But that was the only way Lily would believe me so I had to tell her the whole truth." Ray patted him on the back.  
  
"You're a good man swami."  
  
"Thanks man. I just hope she thinks that." Ray let out a sigh. "Oh, don't call me swami." Travis headed off towards the station.  
  
As he entered the place that he considered home he remembered how just a night before he and Lily had fallen asleep here. He sat down on the couch and rested his head in his hands.  
  
At Mickey's Lily stared at her hot chocolate. She couldn't get the image of Travis and Contessa kissing out of her head. Finally she fell into a fit of tears. She threw a ten on the counter and ran out of the store and headed to the station. She knew Travis would be there. When she entered she saw Travis sitting on the couch. Since his eyes were closed she figured he was asleep. She ran over to him and shook him till he awoke.  
  
"Huh? Lily, what are you doing?"  
  
"Travis, do you still have feelings for her?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"It's the only way I can ever forgive you. Travis, do you still have feelings for Contessa?" Lily's eyes bore into Travis.  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You're really not going to give up are you?" Travis let out a chuckle but Lily's face stayed stern.  
  
"I'm the one asking questions around here. Now tell me, why don't you still love her?" Travis sighed.  
  
"I never loved her. I didn't know what love meant." Lily had a confused look on her face.  
  
"Then why did you go out with her?"  
  
"I guess in some ways I thought I could relate to her and when she asked me out I just said yes."  
  
"Do you love me?" Lily's lip was beginning to quiver. Travis looked straight into Lily's eyes and answered.  
  
"I think I do." Lily's eyes fell.  
  
"Think?"  
  
"Lily, I'm sixteen, how am I supposed to know what love is?" Lily turned her back to him and the sound of rain filled the room.  
  
"You just get this feeling. I know that I'm in love." When Lily turned back around she had a flood of tears running down her face. "Travis, how could you lead me on like this? You made me think you loved me and then you go and throw my heart in a blender!"  
  
"Lily, what does it feel like? Being in love and all." Travis continued to stare at his shoes.  
  
"You get butterflies in your stomach, and whenever you see that person your head fills with air, and your legs turn into noodles. Most of all, you cant get that person out of your head. Morning, noon, and night your thoughts belong to that person. Your heart aches for their touch and you cant stand not being with them."  
  
"That's how you feel about me?"  
  
"Yes." The room was silent for a good five minutes.  
  
"Good, because that's how I feel about you." Lily's head snapped in Travis's direction.  
  
"Really?" Travis slowly looked up at her.  
  
"Yah." Lily jumped into Travis's arms. As she looked into his eyes their faces became closer and in an instant their vision went blurry and their lips met is a romantic kiss.  
  
In that instant something that had been troubling Lily for the past two years became very clear. The kiss that she and Travis had shared in freshman year was no mistake. It was just the one action that would lead them up to this very moment.  
  
A/N: This is not the last chapter so don't worry. There is a LOT more to come. I really hope you like it. I had so much fun writing this story. I finished it around March and I just decided to start posting it.  
  
Trina  
  
P.S. Hey Dani!!!!!!!! 


	6. Big News

A/N: I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPER. IT'S NOT ONE OF MY FAVS SO I'M GONNA POST A FEW CHAPTERS AT ONCE. YOU WON'T MIND WILL YOU??? THAT'S A LAUGH. ANYWAYS, ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Chapter 6  
  
When Lily walked into the RFR station Saturday afternoon she saw Robbie sitting at the table staring at his shoes. His black jerry curls hung in his face. She walked up behind him and tapped him on the back. His head jerked up in surprise.  
  
"What's up Robbie?" Robbie let out a sorrowful sigh.  
  
"It's Kim. She's trying harder that ever to trap RFR and it's becoming harder and harder to keep us a secret. You have no idea how hard it is so be with your girlfriend one minute and to be bashing her on the radio the next. Not to mention keeping her a secret from everyone else." Lily knew that this wasn't easy for Robbie. Kim Carlile ran RFR's rival station, Cougar Radio.  
  
"It sounds hard. But you never meant for this to happen. It just did."  
  
"You can't control when love will pull a sneak attack on you," Robbie whispered.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"It's something Travis once said. You can't control when love will pull a sneak attack on you." Lily smiled.  
  
"That's my boyfriend alright."  
  
"So, how are you and Travis doing?"  
  
"Last Saturday he took me to a PaperMoon concert to celebrate our one month anniversary."  
  
"Cool. How was it?" Lily could tell that he wasn't interested.  
  
"It was great. But more importantly, maybe you should tell the others of you dating Kim." Robbie's head snapped into attention.  
  
"Not going to happen! If they knew they would make fun of me. Not to mention call me a traitor."  
  
"I never thought Ray would be okay with me dating Travis but look how things worked out. And you know Travis, he wouldn't call you a traitor."  
  
"I know but...I'm not so sure about Ray." Lily looked him straight in the eye.  
  
"You never know unless you try. If Ray doesn't understand how much pressure this is putting on you than he doesn't deserve to be part of RFR or part of your friendship. It's your life, not Rays."  
  
"You really think I should tell them."  
  
"Yah, I do." Lily patted Robbie on the back and sat in her seat.  
  
Travis and Ray arrived a few minute later and the show went on as usual. At the end of the show Robbie asked everyone to meet him at Mickey's around eight thirty. Lily knew what he was about to do and she was happy and worried all at the same time.  
  
Nine o'clock rolled around and Robbie hadn't shown. Lily was getting worried that he had backed out when her cell phone started ringing. As she picked up she heard the panic in Robbie voice.  
  
"Robbie, what's wrong?"  
  
"I'm at the hospital." Lily's face went pale.  
  
"What happened?" There was a pause as Robbie talked to one of the doctors.  
  
"It's Kim. She was driving me to Mickey's when all of the sudden..." Robbie broke down into tears.  
  
"Robbie what happened?" Ray and Travis had worried looks plastered onto their faces.  
  
"This truck came in front of us. Kim slammed on the breaks but it was too late. We hit. Kim was knocked unconscious. Last I saw her she had a large gash running down her face and her legs were sprayed with glass." Lily went silent. Her face was ghost white.  
  
"What happened to you?"  
  
"I suffered a small blow to the head and a broken leg. Also some glass wedged itself into my arm but nothing serious."  
  
"What do you mean nothing serious!? You just ran into a TRUCK for goodness sake!" Ray and Travis rushed over to Lily. Ray took the phone from her hand.  
  
"Robbie, where are you?"  
  
"The hospital. Look, just come meet me here. I'll explain everything." Ray hung up and looked to Travis.  
  
"You're driving."  
  
"Where to?" All three headed out to the SUV.  
  
"The hospital. Robbie said he'd explain everything there."  
  
When they arrived at the hospital Robbie met them in the front lobby. Without saying a word he led them to Kim's room.  
  
"What's this all about, Rob?"  
  
"Kim, that's what this is about." Ray had a twisted look on his face.  
  
"Robbie?" Robbie's gaze flew to Travis who had spoken.  
  
"I was with her when this happened."  
  
"I figured, but why were you with the enemy." Robbie looked to Lily with an, 'I told you so," look.  
  
"She's not the enemy Ray. She's what I was going to talk to you guys about tonight. She's...my girlfriend." 


	7. Tear Stained Pillow

Chapter 7  
  
Ray's face went blank and Travis looked like someone had hit him with a bat yet for some reason he still had a smile on his face. Travis patted Robbie on the back.  
  
"Good to see someone found the kindness in her. She deserves someone like you." Rays gaze now fell upon Travis.  
  
"You're okay with this?"  
  
"Yah. As I once said to you, 'you can't control when love will pull a sneak attack on you.'" Ray still looked like a zombie. Lily and Travis decided to leave Ray and Robbie alone for a while. When they had finally left Ray spoke.  
  
"Do you really love her, Rob?"  
  
"Yah, I do Ray." When Robbie saw that Ray wasn't accepting this he become angry.  
  
"Ray, I thought you of all people would be able to accept this!" Lily was standing outside the door. Travis went down to the lobby to get some water and she had decided to come back. She secretly looked into the room.  
  
"What on earth made you think that!?"  
  
"I thought that if you could accept Lily dating Travis even though you've liked her forever, you would be able to accept me and Kim!"  
  
"Who ever said I was accepting Travis dating Lily? You don't understand, it's tearing me up inside but I can't show that! I just want Lily to be happy and if that means she gets to date Travis than that's what I have to do!" Lily saw the tears in Ray's eyes and felt her stomach tearing into knots. She leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Tears cascaded down her face.  
  
"I'm ruining everything." Lily stood up and ran down the stairs and past Travis all the way home.  
  
The next day Travis called her around 11o'clock. She was still sleepy but she was just about to get in the shower. She had been up all night crying.  
  
"Hey Trav, look can we talk at Mickey's? Say around one?"  
  
"Yah, is something wrong? I saw you running out of the hospital yesterday."  
  
"Yah, something sort of is wrong. Just meet me there. Bye." And then she left Travis with the sound of the dial tone.  
  
One o'clock finally rolled around and Travis found Lily sitting on the red couch in the middle of Mickey's. She looked up and patted the cushion next to her.  
  
"Travis, I'm ruining a friendship that I can't afford to lose." Travis was utterly confused.  
  
"Lily please tell me what's going on?"  
  
Lily took a deep breath and prepared for what she was about to do. Tears welled up in her eyes as she came to the realization that after this there might never be a second chance. I'm doing this for Ray. I can't lose his friendship. I can't. Lily took a quick glance to Travis. But how can I do this to Travis. I can't lose his friendship either. More tears fell down her face. It's now or never. Lily took in a deep breath and took the plunge that just might ruin her life.  
  
"Travis, I think we should break up." Travis's face went sheet white.  
  
"It's just, Ray still has feelings for me and..." Lily was interrupted.  
  
"You don't want to hurt him. I understand." Travis has a blank sound to his voice.  
  
"I just wish you could have considered my feelings too." Travis stood up and walked out of the store with the same blank stare on his face. Lily curled into a ball and cried into the cushions.  
  
"What have I done, what have I done, what have I done?" Just then Lily felt someone sit down beside her. She lifted her head in hopes that she would see Travis but she slightly frowned as her gaze rested on Robbie.  
  
"Lily?"  
  
"When did you get here?"  
  
"Just a minute ago. What's wrong?" Lily sat up and Robbie engulfed her in a hug. She cried into his shoulder for a few minutes before she finally got the courage to talk.  
  
"I broke up with Travis."  
  
"Why!?"  
  
"I heard you and Ray talking in the hospital yesterday. Ray still has feelings for me and I can't hurt him like this. Now Travis thinks I didn't consider his feelings and only focused on Ray so now he's mad at me. But the thing is, I did think of Trav, but there is no other way." Robbie lifted Lily's chin so that he could look her in the face. Her eyes were red and baggy and her face was blotchy. The look in her eyes made him want to cry. She truly looked like she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.  
  
"Lily, do you love him?"  
  
"Yes, but Ray..."  
  
"Forget about Ray. He needs to learn to not be so selfish. Look what his selfishness is doing to you. All you need to do is get the man you love. Ray will get over it in due time." Lily smiled but it quickly faded.  
  
"How? Travis will never forgive me."  
  
"Yes he will. You just need to talk to him." Lily nodded. 


	8. Apologies

A/N: WHO READ MoonGophers WHAT NOT TO DO POST???? WASN'T THAT JUST THE BIGGEST LOAD OF SHIT YOU'VE EVER SEEN??? SHE WOULD HAVE A HEART ATTACK READING THIS STORY. THERE'S SO MANY THINGS IN HERE THAT ARE ON HER LIST, IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY. FOR A MINUTE I THOUGHT SHE HAD STOLEN A COPY OF THIS AND WRITTEN THE LIST OFF OF MY STORY. HA, IT WAS SUCH A CROCK.  
  
Note: All thoughts will be in parenthesis. Example: (Why is it always raining?)  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Lily stood up and headed out the doors of Mickey's. As she stepped outside she was met with rain and thunder. (Doesn't this rain ever stop?) Lily headed off towards Travis's house. When she rang the doorbell she came face to face with Travis's mother once again.  
  
"Hi Tracey. Is Travis home? I need to talk to him." Tracey gave Lily a warm smile.  
  
"He's up in his room dear. Just go up the stairs to the third floor and his room is the only one up there. Will you two be all right alone? I have to go to the store."  
  
"Yes, we'll be just fine Tracey. Thank you." Lily headed up the stairs to Travis's room.  
  
The walls were covered with pictures of Travis when he was younger. Lily was overwhelmed. She had never been in Travis's house before. Lily's face fell as she saw a picture of Travis about a year ago standing in front of his old school with Contessa clutching onto his arm. Then she chuckled as she saw a picture of Travis as a toddler standing in front of the Great Wall of China with his diapers on. Then she heard footsteps at the top of the stairway. As she turned around she saw a bleary eyes Travis standing at the foot of the stairs. His face was red and you could tell that he'd been crying. Lily figured that he had just gotten out of the bathroom even thought she hadn't heard the toilet flush or the sink turn on.  
  
"What are you doing here Lil?" Lily walked up to him and grabbed his hand.  
  
"We need to talk." Travis searched her eyes for a moment then cracked a small smile but it didn't last.  
  
"You can grab a towel and meet me upstairs in my room." Travis pulled his hand away and headed up the stairs as Lily walked into the bathroom.  
  
She grabbed a blue towel and dried her hair. Just as she was setting the towel down she saw a blotch of red on the floor and in the sink. On closer inspection Lily saw that it was blood. She suddenly felt woozy and sat back on the toilet. (Why is there blood on the floor and in the sink? Travis wasn't...no he wouldn't...would he?) Lily stood up and headed up to Travis's room. As she entered she saw that it was painted green with posters on the wall. Some were of Buddhist sayings but mostly it was covered with pictures from RFR that had been blown up and laminated. Lily saw Travis lying on his bed and she sat down next to him.  
  
"Travis, I'm sorry."  
  
"You mean for only thinking about Ray and not considering how I must feel. Oh I forgive you." Travis's words were lathered with sarcasm and stung like a knife.  
  
"Travis I couldn't think of any other way! I did consider your feelings but I couldn't find a loop hole!" Lily was pleading with him.  
  
"How about this: ignore it! If you really loved me you wouldn't care!" Lily had never heard Travis sound so angry. But she could detect a hint of hurt in his voice. Either way, he was mad and suddenly, so was she.  
  
"How could you accuse me of that!? Of course I love you but I can't just ignore my friend!" Both Lily and Travis were up and standing, staring at each other with venom in their eyes.  
  
"So I guess I'm not your friend? This is a total double standard Lil! Just because you've known him longer you value his feelings more! Why don't you just date him!?" Lily felt more and more tears gush out of her eyes.  
  
"I'm not dating Ray because I don't love him."  
  
"Well you obviously don't love me!" Lily opened her mouth to protest but Travis continued. "If you did love me you wouldn't have broken up with me! Now get out!"  
  
"Travis..."  
  
"I said get OUT!" Lily looked up at him and saw the hurt in his eyes and saw all the pain she had caused him. She felt herself crying harder.  
  
"I'm sorry." Lily turned around and started to leave. Just as she was about to go down the stairs Travis spoke.  
  
"You're apologies don't mean anything to me." With that he slammed his bedroom door shut. Lily stared at the door for a few minutes before she ran down the stairs and out the door. She didn't know where she was going, all she knew was that she had to get away, and fast. 


	9. Tell Me This Is Just A Dream

A/N: Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been grounded for 3 weeks. I hope I still have some fans. This is a really...sad chapter. Hope you like it.  
  
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Chapter 9  
  
Monday morning Travis walked into the halls of Henry Roscoe High. His face was cold and stern yet was blotchy from crying all weekend. When he walked to his locker he noticed that he hadn't seen Robbie or Ray at all. He shrugged it off and took out his Lit. book. As he was heading for his class his cell phone started to ring. He ducked into the bathroom and answered.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Travis, it's Ray." Travis's face turned to stone.  
  
"What do you want? And why aren't you at school."  
  
"Look, I know you're mad at me but you have to get to the hospital fast."  
  
"Why? Is something wrong with Kim?" Travis heard Ray hand the phone over to Robbie.  
  
"Kim's already out of the hospital. She fine and resting at home." "Then what is this about?"  
  
"It's Lily. She was in an accident."  
  
Travis felt the color drain from his face. He threw his phone in his messenger bag and ran out of the school. He jumped into his SUV and headed to the hospital as fast as he could.  
  
When he entered her room he winced. She had a bandage wrapped around her head and her arm. Glass was sprayed across her entire body. One leg was in a cast but the other was covered in cuts. One gash was four inches long, two inches across, and one inch deep. She also had a neck brace and a bandage wrapped around her waist. Travis could feel his nausea rising.  
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
"Yesterday she came over to my house and told me about your argument. Once she left she said she wanted to be anywhere but Roscoe. She went running out of my house. An hour later I get a call from her parents saying she's in the hospital. The only thing stopping her from getting out of Roscoe was a big rig." When Robbie finished Travis had a blank stare on his face.  
  
"You mean she..."  
  
"She was hit by the big rig. She broke her leg and three ribs. She snapped her neck and suffered severed gashes."  
  
"What's the worst thing?" Robbie looked to the floor and Travis saw tears fall to the floor.  
  
"The tests haven't come back yet but they suspect she's in a...coma." Travis was so numb that he didn't feel the tears flooding down his face. He fell to the floor.  
  
"This is all my fault."  
  
"Yah it is!" Robbie grabbed Ray who was about to pounce on Travis.  
  
Travis didn't notice this. He didn't notice anything. He was in his own world. Images of he and Lily floated to his memory. Happy images which brought a smile to his face. Then the nasty images came; images of their fight. One side of Travis felt like smacking himself but another side was still mad at her. Yah she was in a coma and it was his fault but nonetheless, she had treated him with a double standard and he hated that more than anything.  
  
Travis stood up and looked over to Robbie. "I need to think." Travis started to walk away and Robbie followed him.  
  
"What's wrong?" Travis stopped in the middle of the hallway and slid to the floor.  
  
"Robbie, I know this must sound horrible but...part of me is still mad at her. Yah she might be in a coma but she treated me like I was trash compared to Ray."  
  
"I'm sure she didn't mean to."  
  
"That's what I'd like to think but..." Robbie started to get worried.  
  
"But what?"  
  
"Maybe she was right when she said we should break up. Maybe we should have just stayed friends." Travis stood up and walked out of the hospital without looking back.  
  
"Oh man!" Robbie smacked his forehead before getting up and pulling Ray out of the hospital room.  
  
"Man! What's your problem Rob?" Ray fixed his shirt, which Robbie stretched out.  
  
"You! You're my problem!" Robbie poked Ray in the chest. Ray started getting worried.  
  
"What did I do?"  
  
"Travis and Lily were the most in love couple I've ever seen and YOU broke them up!"  
  
"How did I break them up?"  
  
"You were selfish! You couldn't just let Lily be happy! She heard you at the hospital the other day! Because of that she broke up with Travis! He got mad at her and all of this happened!"  
  
"You can't be saying that you're blaming this on me?" Robbie face was cold and hard.  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying. Lily wouldn't be in that hospital bed if you would have just learned to let go, and not be such a spoiled brat!" Robbie turned around and walked into Lily's room and slammed the door in Rays face.  
  
Just then the doctor walked into the room along with Lily's parents, Philip and Amy, and her little sister Simone. He sat down in a chair and Robbie could see that he looked tired.  
  
"Mr. And Mrs. Randall, is Mr. McGrath allowed to stay or do you wish for him to leave."  
  
"Robbie can stay. He's known Lily since they were two. He has the right to know." Philip answered.  
  
"We got the results from Lily's brain scan test. She is currently...in a coma." Amy broke into tears, as did Simone. The color in Philips face had disappeared and he looked like he had been struck with a baseball bat. 


	10. Why Is This Happening?

A/N: Okay, even if you have read this on The-N I suggest reading it again because I had to edit A LOT for The-N. So read this. You'll find a lot of new things.  
  
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Chapter 10  
  
Robbie was a different story. His sorrow was much deeper. Lily had helped him with everything. She had shown him is true self. Tears flowed down his face in pools and his stomach was tied into knots. He ran into the bathroom where he disposed of his breakfast.  
  
Ten minutes later when he was done disposing of his dinner and lunch he walked outside for some fresh air. When he got outside he saw Travis sitting in his SUV staring at something in his lap. Robbie sneaked around the back of the car so Travis wouldn't see him and peaked into the car. What he saw made him want to throw up even more. Travis was sitting in the car mutilating his right arm with a letter opener.  
  
Robbie opened the car door and snatched the opener out of his friend's hand and threw it to the ground. Travis continued to look at his hands.  
  
"What are you doing?" Travis didn't answer.  
  
"Travis! What on earth are you doing!?" Travis's head jerked in Robbie's direction.  
  
"It's none of your business! If you tell Lily or Ray I will never talk to you again."  
  
"I won't tell, but... you must really love her if you're doing this."  
  
"I don't! She's just a friend! Nothing more!" Travis paused. "Just, take care of Kim." Travis had tears flowing down his face. "Don't let what happened to Lily happen to her."  
  
"Travis, this may not be the best time to tell you but...they got the results from Lily's brain scan." Travis looked at Robbie.  
  
"She's okay? Please tell me she's okay?" Travis tried to hold back tears. Robbie let them go and shook his head.  
  
"No. She's in a coma." Travis shook his head in denial.  
  
"She's gonna be fine though, isn't she. Robbie, tell me she's gonna be fine."  
  
"They don't know. She suffered major brain damage. They said it could last a month or she could also die. They don't have enough technology to know." Travis was silent for a few minutes. He just let the tears cascade down his face.  
  
"I have to see her." Travis hopped out of the SUV and ran into the hospital straight to Lily's room. He stood next to her bed and held her hand.  
  
"Lily, you can't do this to me. You can't, I won't let you. I'm sorry. I take it all back. Everything. Just please don't do this. Lily, I love you." When Lily pale body didn't move Travis fell to the floor and cried into his knees.  
  
"Lily, please don't do this. I can't live without you. I can't. You're my best friend and I need you here with me. Lily, please?" Travis fell asleep three hours later. He stayed at the hospital with Lily for the rest of the next two weeks.  
  
Travis awoke to the sound Robbie's voice. Travis tried to shrug it off but it just got louder.  
  
"Travis, wake up man."  
  
"I'm up, I'm...very tired, but I'm up." Travis sounded like he had a frog in his throat.  
  
"You have to come and talk to Ray. He's gone into a rut because I accused him of being the cause for all this. He's missed every day of school this week and he won't come of RFR. I've been the only one running it."  
  
"Only if he comes here. If I stand up my legs will snap." Robbie chuckled and motioned for Ray to come in. Ray had bags under his deep brown eyes and his black hair was tousled. Tears ran down Ray's eyes as he saw Lily.  
  
"Ray, this isn't your fault."  
  
"Yes it is. If I hadn't interfered none of this would have happened."  
  
"Lily and I were gonna break up anyways. It was just a matter of time until the fight happened." More tears fell out of Ray's eyes.  
  
"But you two were such a cute couple and I broke you two up."  
  
"Ray, it was gonna happen anyway."  
  
"No it wasn't! You and Lily should be together and now you're not and it's all my fault!" Travis looked at his shoes and then to Lily.  
  
"We can't change the past but we can change the future. This happened for a reason. I don't know what that is but...when I find out I'll let you know."  
  
Ray hung his head low and walked out of the hospital. He hopped onto his bike and rode over to Mickey's Discs. He locked his bike up and walked into the local disc store. In the corner he spotted a girl around his age with long black hair and neon aqua eyes. She was wearing a red, V-necked, tank top and a pair of dark denim hip huggers that showed off her olive skin. Her neck was adorned with silver chains and on her feet were a pair of black Converse. Ray was floored. He mustered up the courage and walked over to her.  
  
"What are you reading?" The girl looked up at him and smiled. She scooted over so that he could sit next to her.  
  
"I don't think you would know it. It's not in English." Ray could hear the thick accent she had.  
  
"Where are you from?"  
  
"I just moved here from London but before that I lived in Venice, Italy." Ray stared into her eyes for a few minutes.  
  
"Um...my names Ray Brennan. What's yours?"  
  
"Oh, how rude of me. My name's Contessa, Contessa Treviso." Contessa showed off her pearl teeth. Just then Ray heard Travis's voice in his head.  
  
"Her name is Contessa and she went to the Academy with me back in London. She was my...girlfriend." Ray glanced over to Contessa.  
  
"You know Travis, don't you?"  
  
"Travis Strong? Yes I know him."  
  
"He's my best friend."  
  
"Oh, and Travis isn't very happy with me is he? Well we can still be friends can't we?" At the sound of Contessa's thick accent and the sight of her sparkling smile, he lost all memory of Travis.  
  
"We can be friends." Contessa smiled.  
  
"Great!" Contessa and Ray sat in Mickey's for well over three hours telling stories of their past and about their history. Before they knew it Mickey was kicking them out for closing. Ray walked Contessa home and they decided to meet the next day and go to the movies. 


	11. I'm Back And SO Happy!

A/N: Hey guys, I won't be here next week just so you know. I'm going camping!!! That's why I've posted 3 chapters! Anyways, I'm looking forward to catching up on my reading. I've got a Jerry Spinelli autobiography book that I want to read. I LOVE Jerry Spinelli and recommend that everyone read Stargirl! It rocks!! Well, I don't have to tell everyone. According to her bio, RFRqueenbe is already a big fan. Awesome!  
  
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Chapter 11  
  
When Ray got home his phone rang. He answered and heard Travis's voice on the other end.  
  
"Ray, get down to the hospital now!"  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong. Lily just woke up!" Ray dropped his phone and ran out of the house. He arrived at the hospital ten minutes.  
  
As he entered the room he saw a crying Travis holding Lily in his arms. At that moment Ray knew that his love for Lily was purely platonic. He could see the look of joy on Lily's face. Ray left the room and let them have some time alone.  
  
"Travis..."  
  
"Lily, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen."  
  
"I know. I could hear everything you said while I was...sleeping." Travis smiled and gently kissed her on her rosy lips.  
  
The next day Lily was released and Travis decided they would go and hang out at Mickey's since Lily hadn't been there in two weeks. When she entered she saw Ray sitting on the couch. Her heart swelled with joy to finally see Ray again. She had only seen him for a few minutes the night before. But as soon as the joy had come it disappeared. Sitting next to him was the same raven-haired girl that she had seen Travis with five weeks before. She was wearing a white belly top with Aquarius written in purple on it. The top showed off her impeccable abs. She was also wearing a pair of denim low- rise jeans and a pair of purple DC's. Her hair was pulled into two long pigtails that fell to the small of her back.  
  
"What's he doing talking to her?" Travis looked up to find Ray talking to his ex. Travis walked over to them.  
  
"Hey Tessa, what's up? Trying to get with my best friend I see." Contessa looked up at him. He immediately saw the tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Don't call me Tessa." Travis and Lily sat down.  
  
"Why not? Your dad used to call you that all the time?"  
  
"Yah, well he's dead now so don't call me Tessa." Travis gave Contessa a warm hug.  
  
"I had no idea. How?"  
  
"He went on a trip to New York and he never came back. He was caught in a drive-by shooting." Lily was the first one to speak.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Contessa finally noticed the blonde.  
  
"Oh how rude of me, hi I'm Contessa."  
  
"Yes, I know. Travis has told me all about you. I'm Lily. His girlfriend." Contessa was silent for a few minutes. She just looked Lily over with her big neon blue eyes. Finally she cracked a smile.  
  
"You're the one he was running after. Sorry for kissing him. I had no idea you two were dating." Lily smiled.  
  
"We weren't technically dating at the time but it's okay."  
  
"What happen to you, Lily?" Contessa had just noticed the bandages.  
  
"I was hit by a big rig." Contessa's eyes grew wide.  
  
"How did that happen?" Lily began to tell Contessa the story. By the end of the night Lily and Contessa were the best of friends. 


	12. Why Is Everything Falling Apart Around M

Chapter 12  
  
As Lily unlocked the door and threw her keys on the counter she heard her parents yelling in the kitchen. They had been arguing for the past few weeks. Lily was trying to ignore it. She quickly ran up to her room and took off her back brace. She had been out of the hospital for a month and she was starting to heal.  
  
She flopped on her bed and called Travis. It was Sunday night but she didn't have to go to school since it was summer vacation.  
  
"Hey Travis! You want to hang out?"  
  
"Yah, sure."  
  
"Okay, meet me at the warehouse in ten."  
  
"See you there." Both Lily and Travis hung up at the same time and headed out for the station.  
  
Lily just wanted to get out of her house. When she arrived at the station she saw that Travis was already there. She sat next to him and wrapped her arms around him. She remained in his arms for a few minutes before letting go. Then she leaned in and kissed him on his soft lips.  
  
"What's wrong Lily? You seem upset." Lily looked at her shoes.  
  
"It's my parents. They're fighting again." Travis wrapped his arms around her when he saw tears well up in her eyes.  
  
"I just don't know what to do. I've never seen them fight like this and it's scaring me. Even Simone is scared." As Lily leaned back she took notice to Travis's arm, which was slightly exposed as he reached for a tissue. His arm was covered in neat, parallel cuts. She suddenly had a flashback of when she first came to Travis's house and saw the blood in his bathroom. Lily took in a quick intake of breath.  
  
"Lily, something wrong?" Travis handed her the tissue and she wiped her eyes.  
  
"No, nothing." Lily shook her head. She knew she should talk to Travis but she couldn't bring herself to do it.  
  
"Okay. You sure?" Lily nodded.  
  
"Yah, I'm sure. Um, I have to go but can we meet at Mickey's tomorrow around one?"  
  
"Yah. See you then."  
  
Lily headed out of the station as Travis sat in the station. Once he was sure she was gone Travis rolled up his sleeve and looked at his arms. Some of his cuts were scabbed over and some were just starting to heal. One scar was still bleeding since it had only appeared on Travis's arm two hours before. Did she see? I hope not. Travis covered his arm once again and headed home. I'm gonna have to deal with this sometime. Just not now.  
  
As Lily opened the door to her two story, suburban house she was met with the sound of yelling, once again. She had left and hour before and her parents hadn't stopped arguing since. Lily ran up to her room and slammed her door shut. She flopped onto her beanbag just when her phone started to ring.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Lil's." It was Contessa and she didn't sound good.  
  
"Contessa, what's wrong?"  
  
"It's Ray. We had a fight and he broke up with me." Lily could hear Contessa crying on the other end.  
  
"What were you guys fighting about?"  
  
"He accused me of still liking Travis and I accused him of still liking you. Everything grew out of hand and before I knew what was happening he said we were threw." The line went silent.  
  
"I'm gonna kill Ray! Look, I'll talk to Ray in the morning and I want you to stop thinking about this." Then the line went dead. Lily was once again left to the sound of the screaming from the first floor.  
  
Lily's head was filling with images and voices. Her parents fighting, Contessa crying on the phone, and worst of all was Travis's arm. Why would he do that to himself? Lily started to cry as everything filled her mind. It was too much for a sixteen-year-old girl to take in at once. Lily stood up and picked up a vase holding red roses. Lily hurled it at the wall and it broke with a sickening shatter. Lily fell to the floor and cried into her knees. Why is everything falling apart around me?  
  
The next day Lily met Travis at Mickey's. She had bags under her eyes and her hair was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. She sat down next to Travis and took his hand.  
  
"What's wrong Lily?" She looked into his eyes with tears in her own. She hated how much she had been crying lately but this was something she had to cry about. "I should be asking you the same thing Trav."  
  
"What?" Lily looked down and rolled up his shirtsleeve to expose his mutilated arm. Travis looked down in shame.  
  
"Travis, why? I saw the blood at your house the day I was hit by the big rig but I didn't say anything. Now I'm saying something."  
  
"I don't know why I do it. I have ever since I first moved to London. I hated moving and having to make new friends so I did this to focus my pain on something else. You, Robbie, and Contessa are the only ones that know." Lily shook her head. "Robbie and Contessa know?"  
  
"Yah. Robbie saw me cutting myself the day that I found out you were hit by the big rig. I made him swear not to tell."  
  
"What about Contessa?"  
  
"When we started dating she didn't know anything about it. Things were great, until I found out that we were going to move in a month to Hong Kong. She caught me in my dorm cutting myself. Back then we were only thirteen so we didn't know what to do. She promised not to tell and a month later I moved." Lily looked away from Travis. Then she abruptly glanced back.  
  
"Robbie and Contessa couldn't help you but I can, and I will." Lily lifted Travis's chin up so she could look him in the eyes.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Travis, I hate doing this but unless you stop cutting I can't be with you."  
  
"What? Lily, please don't do this? I can't handle breaking up again." Travis gripped on tight to her shoulders.  
  
"If you can go two weeks without cutting than we can still be together, but until then..." "Lily." A pleading tone was in his voice.  
  
"Travis, I don't want to do this anymore than you do but it's the only way I can get you to stop. If you love me than this won't be hard."  
  
"Lily, you know I love you."  
  
"Then stop cutting," Lily whispered and then, she was gone. 


	13. We Have To Deal With This Now

Chapter 13  
  
Lily walked into the RFR station. She plopped down onto the red vinyl couch and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. She had to write a poem on something or someone she loved. She already knew that she would write about Travis. He still had one more week to go without cutting before they could get back together. Lily had noticed that instead of cutting he would shake his foot furiously. At least she knew that he still wanted to be with her.  
  
Lily started writing the first line of her poem when Travis walked into the station. Lily quickly hid her notepad and slid over so Travis could sit down next to her. That's when she noticed his eyes were puffy and swollen and his face was pale and blotchy. "Lily, can I tell you something?"  
  
"Yah, sure. You know you can tell me anything."  
  
"Ray should probably be telling you this but he's too distraught."  
  
"Travis, what is it? You're starting to scare me."  
  
"It's Contessa." Travis paused as he searched for the right words. "She had...an accident."  
  
"Oh, no! Is she okay? What happened?"  
  
"Lily, I haven't told you the whole truth about Contessa." Lily looked at him questionably.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The reason Contessa didn't tell anyone about my cutting problem was because she knew I would tell about her problem. Contessa had a problem with drugs." Lily's eyes grew wide as Travis continued. "She was upset about Ray breaking up with her and she went out and, well, did drugs. She had an overdose and...she's gone."  
  
"What do you mean 'gone.'"  
  
"She was in the hospital for about an hour before she...died." Lily's eyes filled with water, as did Travis's.  
  
Lily was speechless. She just cried into Travis's shoulder. Then something hit Lily like a train.  
  
"Oh my god! Ray. How's he taking this?"  
  
"Not well. He could barely talk on the phone." Lily stood up.  
  
"I have to find Ray. Before he does something stupid." Lily and Travis took off towards the Brennan residence.  
  
As they walk into Ray's room they saw him sitting on the floor shaking. He was cradling himself back and forth.  
  
"Why, why, why, why? Why did I break up with her? Why? Why did she leave me? Please, let me take her place?" Lily ran to Ray and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"Ray, I'm so sorry."  
  
"Lily, why did this have to happen? I love her and now she's gone."  
  
"She had a problem. No one could do anything about it. Don't blame yourself."  
  
"But if I hadn't broken up with her none of this would have happened."  
  
"Ray, she had a drug problem and this would have eventually happened." Ray looked at her.  
  
"Why are you so damn calm about this!? One of your best friends is dead! D- E-A-D, dead!" Tears flowed out of Lily's eyes.  
  
"Damn it, Ray! Don't you think I realize that!? But there's nothing I can do. I wish there was but there isn't! So I have to learn to deal! Now I'm just trying to get you to do the same!"  
  
"I don't want to do the same." Ray stood up but quickly started to fall. Travis rushed over a caught him and set him a back down. Ray collected his breath and started to talk in a calm manner.  
  
"Travis, how are you so calm about this? She was your ex after all." Travis looked down as tears formed in his eyes.  
  
"I should have told someone but I didn't."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I knew about her drug problem but I didn't tell anyone."  
  
"Why didn't you tell?"  
  
"Because then she would tell about my cutting problem." Travis lifted up his sleeve to reveal his old cuts. Then Travis wickedly chuckled. "We were one screwed up couple, weren't we?" Travis caught Lily looking at his arm. "Don't worry, their old." Lily flinched at the sharp, jagged tone in his voice.  
  
"Travis, I think you've finally snapped." Travis looked at Ray.  
  
"You think I'VE snapped! You're the one rocking like a baby on the floor! And what am I supposed to do!? She was the first friend I had that actually understood me!" Lily stood up and grabbed his shoulders.  
  
"Travis, just calm down." Travis stepped away from her.  
  
"Calm down! How the hell am I supposed to calm down when one of my best friends is DEAD! She's never coming back and it's all my fault so don't you tell me to calm down, Lillian Randall."  
  
"Travis?" Lily whispered. She was starting to get worried. Then Travis fell to the floor in a wave of tears. Lily rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him. Ray did the same.  
  
"Travis, I'm sorry."  
  
"Ray, I'm sorry too. If I had just gotten Contessa help back then none of this would have happened. You wouldn't have lost your girlfriend and Lily and I wouldn't have lost a great friend. It's all my fault."  
  
"No it's not Travis. You didn't know how to help her. There's nothing we can do about it now but pray that this doesn't happen again." They sat and talked about everything for the next two hours. Finally Lily and Travis left to go home. 


	14. I Think We Should Break Up

Chapter 14  
  
The next day Travis walked to Lily's house. He still wanted to talk to her about Contessa. Lily let him in and they walked up to her room. When he entered he sat down on her bed.  
  
"Lily, why aren't your parents here?"  
  
"They're seeing with a lawyer." Travis saw a glimmer of water in her eyes.  
  
"Why? Lily, what's wrong?" Lily stood up and picked up a glass figurine of a fairy.  
  
"Some things look so beautiful in one piece." Lily chucked the figurine at the wall and it shattered into a million pieces. "And in an instant it can turn so ugly." Travis was taken aback.  
  
"Lily, what's wrong? You starting to scare me." Lily looked to Travis and he saw her eyes turn to stone.  
  
"I always thought my family was so perfect and beautiful, but like the fairy it's now dead. Travis my parents are having a divorce!" Travis held Lily in his arms.  
  
"When did you find out?"  
  
"Last night when I came home from Rays. Travis, I don't think I can take any more of this. So far in the past three months I've had to deal with car crashes, a new girl, a COMA, more break ups than I can count, make ups, cutting, DEATH, and now my parents are getting a divorce! Someone has it in for me."  
  
"I know how you feel. This is happening to Ray, Robbie, and me also."  
  
"I know but it just feel like it's hitting me the hardest. I mean, I was hit by the big rig, I was in the coma, My boyfriend is the cutter, My parents are getting a divorce, I've been breaking up and getting back together with my boyfriend, and I'm the one about to have a nervous breakdown!" Travis looked into Lily's eyes. He gently leaned down and kissed her on the lips.  
  
"Lily, everything's going to be fine. You've recovered from your coma, I'm not cutting anymore, our relationship is gonna be fine, your parents will be okay, and you're not gonna have a breakdown. We all love you, this is just one of those times that everyone goes through that really makes things hard for themselves."  
  
"But why do I have to get loaded with all this crap now?"  
  
"You can't control when these things will happen. You just have to learn to work through it." Lily looked into Travis's eyes and felt a jolt run throughout her body. It was the same jolt she felt four months ago when she and Travis had fallen asleep in the warehouse. Lily tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his soft smooth ones.  
  
"I'm glad you're here to help me through all of this." Travis tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
"I'm glad I'm here also." Lily saw Travis look away and knew that he was avoiding her gaze.  
  
"Travis, what's wrong?" He was silent.  
  
"Travis? Talk to me please?" Still no answer. Lily's hand caressed his face and made him look at her. She saw tears brimming his eyes. " Travis..."  
  
"Lily, I think we should...take a break, from our relationship."  
  
"What? Why?" Lily was searching his face frantically for an answer but she found none.  
  
"Right now I just don't think I can be in a relationship. I think it would be best for you to see someone else. Maybe even Ray."  
  
"I don't want to be with Ray, I want to be with you!"  
  
"Lily, I know that you have some feelings for Ray and right now he needs you more than I do."  
  
"No! You need me. You're cutting and..."  
  
"And I'm fine Lil. Please, be with Ray? He can help you more than I can."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Lily, I'm still your friend, just right now I can't be in a relationship."  
  
"Why? Just tell me that."  
  
"Because look what happened to your parents. I don't want that to happen to us. I don't want us to start hating each other." Travis whispered the last sentence and then walked past Lily and out the door. Lily stood in the middle of her room for a few minutes before she fell to the floor crying. 


	15. Return Of The EyeLiner Queen!

Chapter 15  
  
Travis looked down the hall and saw Lily clinging on to Rays arm. Lily and Ray had been going out for three months now, which meant that Travis, Lily, Ray, and Robbie were all seniors. So much had changed over the summer. Robbie and Kim broke up when they found out Kim was going to college in New York. Lily parents did get divorced. Lily is living with her mother here in Roscoe and her father moved to Toronto. Lily became part of the 'popular' kids group once they found out how good she could sing. All four were still doing RFR but things have been tense ever since Travis and Lily broke up. Other than that nothing changed.  
  
"Hey bro." Travis turned around and the first thing he caught sight of was a head full of jerry curls.  
  
"Hey Rob." Robbie flowed Travis gaze and saw who he was looking at.  
  
"Dude, you have to get over her. You're the one who broke it off, remember?"  
  
"It still doesn't change how I feel. Robbie, I just didn't want to eventually hurt her. With all the stuff going on with her parents and all it really got me thinking." Travis paused. "But I still love her."  
  
"I know you do bro. But, you let her go. I hate to say it but that was your mistake."  
  
"I know. But it's a mistake that I AM going to correct." Travis slammed his locker shut and walked down the hall to the cafeteria.  
  
On his way he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. As he turned around he was met with the sight if a pair of hazel eyes that were surrounded by make- up, lots and lots of make-up. These eyes belonged to his ex girlfriend.  
  
"Well if it isn't the Eye-Liner Queen! What does her highness want with a mere servant like me?" Travis had disliked Audrey ever since she broke up with him in the middle of the dance floor at the Valentines dance during freshman year.  
  
"Travis, look, I know you still must hate me but I really miss being your friend." "It took you three years to figure that out?" Travis started to walk away but Audrey followed him.  
  
"Look, Travis, I still want us to be friends."  
  
"I have enough friends, thank you very much." Audrey grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her.  
  
"Yah, but the one you want to be with is currently with Ray." Audrey looked at him and saw she had gotten through to him. "Travis, please let me help you?"  
  
"Why should I? You said you wouldn't hurt me and you wound up making our break up a public display. How do I know this isn't going to blow up in my face also?"  
  
"Travis, Lily's my friend. She'll listen to me. Plus this won't be THAT hard." "Why won't it be hard?" Suspicion was current in his voice.  
  
"Because she still has feelings for you. Just let me work my magic and within two weeks you'll be back together."  
  
"What's in this for you?"  
  
"I get to have one of my best friends back. Travis, when I broke up with you it was only because we were more like brother and sister. But either way, I can talk to you about things that my other friends would think are stupid. Please?"  
  
"Okay, but I'll only be your friend if this works. Deal?" Audrey flashed off one of her award winning smiles.  
  
"Deal." As Audrey ran off Travis chuckled to himself.  
  
"What have I gotten myself into?" As Travis started to walk away he wound up bumping into Lily.  
  
"Lily!"  
  
"Travis! I'm sorry but I have to go." Lily attempted to run off in the other direction.  
  
"Wait! Lily can we talk?" Lily turned around and slowly walked back to him. "What about?"  
  
"Us." Lily looked to the floor.  
  
"There's nothing to talk about. You broke up with me because you thought we would end up like my parents. I started dating Ray, like you told me to, and you've stayed single. Why did you stay single anyways? It was your idea to date new people." Travis looked directly into Lily's emerald eyes.  
  
"I thought I could find someone better than you. And, I didn't." Lily looked away. "Oh." An eerie silence followed. "Um, Travis, I have to go." Lily turned around and ran away from Travis. Travis just stared at her. She looked beautiful in her black mini skirt that went to her mid thigh and her lime green peasant top that flowed freely as she ran. As soon as Lily got around the corner she fell to the floor. She was, what Ray would call, confuzzled. Confused and puzzled. Best of both worlds.  
  
"He does still like me?"  
  
"No, Lily. He still loves you." Lily looked up and saw Robbie looking down at her.  
  
"He does?"  
  
"Yah Lil. He just didn't want to hurt you, but in the end he would up hurting himself."  
  
"But Ray..."  
  
"Look, I can't tell you what to do. All I can say is go with your heart."  
  
That night Lily called Audrey to ask for advice. Not a good move.  
  
"Audrey, I found out Travis still likes me. What should I do?"  
  
"Who told you Travis still likes you?"  
  
"Robbie, why?"  
  
"Well, I was just talking to Travis and he said he is so over you," Audrey lied.  
  
"But Travis told me today that he couldn't find anyone he liked more than me."  
  
"And you believed him? It's just something guys say when they can't find a date. Trust me, he's way over you. Robbie was most likely just going along with it. But hey, you still have Ray." Lily frowned.  
  
"I guess. I just really thought he liked me."  
  
"Why? Do you still like him?" Lily could tell that Audrey was starting to sound defensive.  
  
"No." Lily lied. "Why? Do you still like him?"  
  
"Yah, I think I do. I really think he was flirting with me today at lunch." "Oh, okay. Well, I have to go. Bye."  
  
As Lily hung up Audrey looked at the phone and let out a laugh.  
  
"Lily Randall, you are so going down." 


	16. Busted!

Chapter 16

As Lily walked down the halls of Henry Roscoe High she saw Travis talking to Audrey. She felt her stomach tie into knots. She quickly turned around and saw Ray heading out of his history class. She ran up to him and kissed him on the lips.

"Hey pretty lady."

"Hey Ray." Ray pressed Lily up against the wall and kissed her more passionately than before. As they broke apart Lily saw Travis looking at them.**_ Take that Travis Strong._**

"Audrey, you said you said you talked to her."

"And you expect everything to change in only one day?"

"No but...it's almost as if she did that to spite me." Audrey placed her perfectly manicured hand on his shoulder.

"Travis, in case you didn't notice, Lily can be quite cruel sometimes." Travis watched as Audrey walked away. Her powder blue dress seemed to flow perfectly with her body is a way that it almost seemed evil.**_ Why do I have an uneasy feeling about this?_**

That afternoon Travis skipped RFR. Instead he went to Mickey's. He ordered a cup of green tea and sat down on the orange couch in front of the fireplace to rest. His P.E. coach, Mr. Gray, had made him jog two miles in the rain, and then he had to do pulls ups. Travis knew he wasn't doing well in P.E. since he currently had a C but he didn't care. He still worked out so to him it didn't matter that he couldn't run two miles with out hurting someone from frustration. Right now all that was on his mind was Lily.

As he sat listening to RFR someone walked up behind him and covered his eyes.

"Guess who?" Travis swatted her away.

"What do you want Audrey?" The chestnut haired girl sat on Travis's lap but he quickly pushed her off.

"Travis, I just need to make sure you really want to be with Lily."

"Of course I do!"

"Well think about it. She's sometimes cruel, selfish, spoiled..."

"What are you talking about? Lily's none of those things! Are you sure you're her friend?"

"Positive." Audrey crossed her fingers behind her back. "It's just, even a friend has to be honest. It's called constructive criticism."

"Well to me it just sounds harsh." Travis and Audrey fought back and fourth for the next ten minutes. They were so busy arguing that they didn't see Lily walk in.

"Wow, I didn't know loving couples were supposed to fight this much." Travis looked up and saw Lily standing in front of him. She was wearing a pair of denim hip huggers and a forest green tank top with a silk green pocket resting on her rib line.

"What?" Audrey felt her nausea rising.

"Well, Audrey told me how much you two like each other and I didn't think loving couples fought this much."

"I think I better go." Audrey stood up to leave but Travis grabbed her arm.

"No you don't Audrey Quinlan, you're staying right there. Lily, Audrey and I aren't dating."

"But Audrey said..."

"I know." Travis eyed Audrey suspiciously. "Audrey has some explaining to do." Audrey sat back down.

"It's just...Travis, once Lily started dating you all she ever talked about was you. It made me remember all the good times we had and I just had to have it back."

"So you risked your friendship with Lily?"

"You call that a friendship? I just had her give me info on you back in freshman year and she never left me alone." Travis saw Lily look away with hurt in her eyes.

"How can you be so cruel?"

"Lily knew my rep when she became my friend so she knew the consequences. I just pretended to be her friend. All that time I was giving her makeovers it was just a way for me to pass the time. Plus she really needed it. I consider it charity work." Travis saw tears flow out of Lily's eyes. He stood up and grabbed Lily's hand and left.

"Lily, are you okay?"

"Yah, I'll be fine."

"Okay." As Travis saw more tears come he wrapped her in a hug.

"Travis, I just can't believe she would do that to me."

"I know. Lily I'm sorry."

"Travis?"

"Yah?" Both stopped talking as their eyes met. They seemed entranced, if only for a few moments.

"Is it true? Do you still love me?" Travis looked into her glassy green eyes.

"I never stopped loving you." Lily looked away and picked up her backpack.

"I have to go." And with those last words she was gone.


	17. The Scrapbook

Chapter 17

Two weeks passed before Travis and Lily talked face to face again and that was only because they had bumped into each other in the hall. Lily walked up to Ray at the end of RFR and asked if they could meet at Mickey's later that night.

"Yah, I'll meet you there pretty lady."

Ray gave her a kiss on the cheek and then took off home. Lily remembered that she had left her guitar in the station and went back in for it. As she stepped down the stairs she saw through the window, Travis looking at a scrapbook in his hand. The book was filled with photos of them when they were dating. There was a picture that Ray had taken of them fighting in the rain and a photo of her sitting on his lap in Mickey's Discs.

As Travis turned the page she saw a photo of them at the PaperMoon concert kissing and another of them together with his hand wrapped around her arm. It brought a tear to her eye. Then she saw photos of him sitting next to her in the hospital. There had to be at least ten photos of him just holding her hand and at the top of the page it read**, "_I promise that I'll never leave your side, Lily_."** Then there were photos of him sulking around the house after they had broken up which Lily guessed him mom had taken.

As Travis turned the page once again, the first thing she saw was the title. _**Just because you break up, it doesn't mean you stop loving**._ There were photos of Travis watching her at school from behind corners and photos of she and Ray kissing. Many of the photos were of Travis staring at Lily during RFR; Lily figured Robbie had taken these. After a few more pages of this Lily was overwhelmed with grief. She completely forgot about her guitar and took off for Mickey's.

As she entered she saw that Ray was already there. She sat down next to him in front of the warm fireplace.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about Lily?" Lily looked directly into the fire for a few moments before answering.

"Ray, I think we should break up." Ray was more surprised than sad.

"What! Why?" Lily looked at him with a blank face.

"Ray, can you honestly tell me you don't know why?" Ray sighed and looked at the burning flames.

"You still love Travis."

"I'm sorry, Ray. But I can't...I cant hurt you any more. And I can't continue living a lie." Ray nodded.

"I know." Ray turned and faced Lily. "Just, don't lose him this time. You guys have suffered enough breakups to last a lifetime." A smile spread across Lily's face as she hugged Ray.

"Thanks for being so understanding."

"No prob. To be honest, I was stating to feel that things weren't working out. I guess I just wanted so hard for things to be great that I didn't follow my heart, and I didn't let you follow yours."

"Thanks Ray, well I'm gonna go find Trav. See you later." Lily stood up and headed out of Mickey's. Lily knew in her gut that Travis was still at the station so she headed in that direction.

As Lily walked through the park the saw the exact spot where she and Travis had shared their first kiss only six months before. It was hard for Lily to comprehend that this whole ordeal had started half a year before. Lily stood in front of the station door for a few moments trying to decide if she was doing the right thing. As she remembered the scrapbook she made her decision and walked into the Underground. As she entered she saw Travis sitting at the table writing in his notebook.

"Travis." The sandy blonde haired boy looked up in shock.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can we talk?" Travis stood up and sat down next to Lily on the couch.

"What do you want to talk about?" Lily grabbed Travis's hands.

"Us. Travis, I made a huge mistake when I started dating Ray because...I love Ray but, I'm not IN love with him."

"Love's tricky isn't it?" Lily laughed at Travis' remark.

"Yah it is. It tricked me into believing that I didn't love you, and that's not true."

"But Lily, you may love me but you're not in love with me."

"That's the exact trick that love was pulling on me. Travis, I've always been in love with you. Ever since you helped me with my _Think Pink_ campaign."

"But that was way back in freshman year."

"I know. You were the only one who would let me do what I wanted to do. Ray pushed me so hard to be president but you...you didn't. You believed that I could win but only if I wanted to. That meant a lot to me." Travis looked at the face he had dreamed of for so long.

"I just want you to be happy."

"And the only way I can be happy is if I'm with you." Lily leaned in and pressed her lips to his. For the first time in the past three months, she felt genuinely happy.

"Lily?"

"Yah."

"Will you marry me?" Before Lily could answer she heard a boom of thunder and the room went white.


	18. It Was A

Chapter 18

As Lily sat up she noticed her surroundings. She was wearing a long sleeved green shirt and a pair of black Dickies. She was wet and cold. As she looked down she noticed that Travis's jacket was wrapped around her. A blush crept to her face as she looked down and noticed that she was lying on Travis's chest. She quickly sat up and looked out the window. Snow was falling and lightning tore throughout the sky. She quickly turned around and saw Travis sitting up and staring at her.

"What happened?"

"What are you talking about Lil?"

"What grade are we in?"

"Eleventh." Travis was staring at her like she was a mad man.

"And you don't have a friend named Contessa who died?"

"No. Lily, what's wrong with you?" Travis stood up and grasped Lily by she shoulders.

"I don't know. Travis, you and I...we didn't date, did we?"

"No. I just broke up with Audrey last week."

"Oh." Lily looked down.

"Lily you act like that's a bad thing." Lily looked up to him and he saw something in her eyes that he hadn't noticed before.

"To me it is a bad thing. Travis I just had this crazy dream where you and I were a couple."

"We were?"

"Yah. We broke up and hooked back up a lot in the dream. Then you're ex girlfriend came and Ray started dating her and she later died from a drug overdose. I was in a coma, Kim was in a car crash, you were a cutter and I had to make you stop, then my parents got divorced and you broke up with me and then I started dating Ray and then we hooked back up and you asked me to marry you and just as I was gonna answer I woke up." Lily took a deep breath since she was out of air. Travis plopped back down on the couch with a black stare on his face.

"Travis say something?"

"You like me?" Lily sat next to him but refused to look at him.

"Yes." Travis caressed Lily's face and turned her head to face him.

"Travis, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"I'm glad you did."

"Wha..." Lily was cut off as Travis's lips met with Lily's. As Lily felt a shock run throughout her body she noticed that this was the same shock she had felt in her dream. As they broke apart Travis could see that her eyes were misty.

"Dream's really do come true." Lily whispered before she and Travis once again kissed, _and the only thing that could be heard was therainfall_.

**_The End_**


End file.
